Posted by Michael
Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:33:00 GMT
Somehow, I think through my excellent magic skills, I’ve managed to have NEVER used Microsoft Outlook. I’ve been designing systems since 1995 and never, ever used it in production anything for my own email account.
It’s been a few years since I even tested it…
I’m designing a system for a client and I setup a Windows XP box inside VMWare and installed Outlook. On starting it for the first time, I got 90% of the way though the new mail wizard and Outlook crashed. When I try to start it again, it gives me a “cannot open mail stores” and exits.
Yep, fresh XP install (patched of course), new Outlook install.
Completely useless.
I don’t know how you Windows admins even wake up and go to work in the morning, I really don’t.
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Posted by Michael
Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:47:00 GMT
A number of hardware and software vendors use BlueRoads for their partner management functions.
I got a signup from a vendor today (who I’ll not name), and promptly got a “BlueRoads is Only Supported on Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0” on login.
First of all, no Firefox support is just stupid. Second, we only have one Windows box, it’s Vista, and it has IE 7. You know, IE 7, the newest version of Internet Explorer.
Get with the program BlueRoads!
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Posted by Michael
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:39:00 GMT
Is your marketing department letting you down, or do you make average products for average people?
Make a change.
Make something that people WANT to talk about.
It doesn’t matter what it is.
If it’s really good, you wont have to market it.
When was the last time you saw a Google ad on prime time TV?
Think they need it? They don’t.
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Posted by Michael
Mon, 06 Aug 2007 16:57:00 GMT
You’re having lunch with someone and their cell phone rings.
If they pick it up, they’re saying that a cell phone call is more important than the face to face with you.
Now, there are exceptions to this rule, but they’re obvious. Servers crashing might be a good excuse.
Do everyone a favor and make the in person meetings your priority.
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Posted by Michael
Thu, 31 May 2007 11:46:03 GMT
I just tried to log into a service I haven’t used in a while. My password doesn’t work and it’s not obvious how to request a reset. It was easier to search on Google for their competitor and sign up than to reset my password on the other service.
In your business, are the easy things easy? You’re loosing customers if they aren’t.
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Posted by Michael
Mon, 21 May 2007 16:46:21 GMT
Typical headline— “::Insert big name vendor here:: just released an ISA-based, hardened Windows appliance…”
I get chills when I think of what a disaster this could be.
I’m a fan of lightweight and flexible appliances that do something really well.
ISA on “hardened Windows” is an obese system trying to look good in a sun dress. Most good sysadmins have been trying to harden their Windows systems for years.
If you’re one of these people, raise your hand if you’re sure this “hardening” worked.
Anyone? Bueller?
Okay, you in the back with the Microsoft employee badge on, put your hand down.
I think they should tell the truth:
“Hi. We developed a cool solution but used a really inflexible technology to build it. Instead of doing the right thing and moving it to a good platform, we’re going to shoehorn it into this half thought out plan and call it ‘a rapidly deployable system’”
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Posted by Michael
Thu, 19 Apr 2007 16:04:18 GMT
Him: People are willing to look at and buy this because it’s what is popular right now.
Me: This doesn’t actually provide any security, it’s an illusion product.
Him: Who cares, people will pay a large amount of money for this. The margin is great.
Me: Isn’t this like stealing? I’m more interested in actual solutions, not snowballing people into something that doesn’t actually work.
Him: ::Goes on 20 minute spew on them vs competitor ending with:: “and it will stop information leaving your network via http POST”
Me: So if I submit to a form submit via GET what happens?
Him: Well we don’t block that.
Me: So I just circumvented your very expensive system just from listening to your pitch. What other parts aren’t going to work?
Yep, that really happened.
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Posted by Michael
Fri, 23 Mar 2007 09:40:20 GMT
I have about 5 Google apps mail accounts through different projects. Imapenguin is now enabled through Google Apps as well and is the only account with the premier option.
Today, the only account with the paid uptime guarantee has been down for an hour. All of my standard(and free) accounts are up.
I’m trying to figure out what I’m paying $50 a user for when all of my free accounts are available and everyone in my business, and all of our clients are waiting for email to come back up.
As a stark contrast, we had run our own Postfix/Dovcot email system for years up until a few weeks ago with really close to 100% uptime via very low maintenance.
It’s ironic that we switch to a paid outsourced system and now are enduring our longest downtime in years.
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Posted by Michael
Mon, 05 Mar 2007 09:04:00 GMT
This is an official plea (okay, not official, just a rant) from Imapenguin dudes and gals.
Can everyone on planet earth please stop using out of office replies?
I sent you an email BECAUSE it isn’t real time. Answer the darn thing when you’re done with whatever you’re doing.
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Posted by Michael
Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:52:37 GMT
My current LinkedIn Network is somewhere around 235,000 people out of the 9 million on the network.
WOW. 235,000 people. I wonder if one of them is Kevin Bacon…
That’s great and all, but there is nothing, and I mean nothing meaningful going on as a result of that incredible number.
I have about 10 valid business ideas(and about 100 others that might work) that I don’t currently have time or money to seriously work on. 235,000 people SHOULD be able to help with that, but there is no easy way to recruit help from that huge pool of people.
I can advertise a job opening, but that’s not much help in the pure entrepreneurial space. I can find a classmate, but I don’t really care about that either.
My huge LinkedIn Network which is:
is broken and not working FOR me.
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